One of the first steps in a design process is understanding the surrounding community. This research is conducted in multiple ways. Through census data, site visits, and personal interviews, the design team is working to better understand the people who will experience the environments for years to come.
The information on this page will be updated throughout the planning process. Check back often to see new insights.
Population Lives in the Study Area
People live within the W. 25th Street Study Area
The study area for 25Connects spans across parts of five neighborhoods: Ohio City, Clark-Fulton, Tremont, Brooklyn Centre, and Old Brooklyn. Extending from Detroit Avenue on the north to the Metroparks Zoo on the south, the total length of the W. 25th Street corridor is about 3 miles.
The total population in our study block-groups is 44,064, which is about 11% of the total population of Cleveland. As far as age, the median age of the corridor is 32.3 years old and it ranges between 31.7 in Clark-Fulton and 36.5 in Old Brooklyn. The corridor’s age pyramid shows an extensive population between 20 and 40. There is however an area with a significantly older population (50-56.9) on the east side of West 25th Street, between Lorain Avenue and Detroit Avenue, which aligns with the presence of Riverview Tower, the high-rise public housing that caters to senior citizens. The youngest block-group is located just north of Riverview Tower, with a median age between 22.7 and 30 that reflect a community with an important children and youth basis.
In general, the study area is characterized by the presence of a significant Hispanic and Latino population, that is mostly concentrated in Clark-Fulton and some parts of Brooklyn Centre and Old Brooklyn. While there is a prevalence of the Hispanic and Latino population, 74% of households speak English only at home.
Spanish is the second most spoken language with 21% of households speaking it at home, most of which (15%) are also fluent in English and 6% has limited English proficiency. The highest percentage of people speaking Spanish is recorded in Clark-Fulton, which is about 40%.
As far as racial distribution, 65% of the corridor identifies as white and 16% as Black or African American. Other races such as Asians, American Indians and Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders are only under 2% in the whole corridor.
Commuting time of half the population along the W. 25th Corridor
LIVING ALONG W. 25TH USES PUBLIC TRANSIT
The study area is characterized with the use of cars as the main means of transportation. 87% of the population in the corridor uses cars, while only 7% uses public transportation, and 4% walks. As far as commuting times in the corridor, almost half of the population (47%) has a commuting time between 15 and 29 minutes, while 26% has less than 15 minutes, 19% between 30 and 44 minutes and 8% has a commuting time that is more than 45 minutes.
Ohio City has the least ratio (77%) of population using cars as the main means of transportation. This is due to the location of Ohio City near major public transportation lines such as the red line that has a stop right in Ohio City. As far as commuting time, Ohio City has the largest population ratio (30%) that has a commuting time that is less than 15 minutes.
Clark Fulton and Brooklyn Centre have the same characteristics as far as means of transportations and commuting time. While both districts show the prevalence of the car as the main means of transportation, they also have one of the highest public transportation user ratios, 10% in Clark-Fulton and 9% in Brooklyn Centre.
Old Brooklyn records the highest ratio of car use, which is 92%. This is probably due to the suburban characteristics of Old Brooklyn. The travel time is similar to the overall commuting time in the corridor, with a large part of the population that has a commuting time between 15 and 29 minutes.
Total number of housing units located within the W. 25th Corridor study area
Overall, West 25th corridor includes about 23,000 housing units. While a third of the units are in Old Brooklyn, the four other districts have a similar number of units. More than half the units along the corridor are rented, 30% of them are owned and 14% are vacant. In fact, Old Brooklyn is the district with the highest rate of homeownership. In contrast, Ohio City has the highest rate of rental units. While the median value of homes in the corridor is $70K, the median value of homes in Ohio City is significantly higher, with median housing value of $275k.
At a district scale, each area has its distinct housing characteristics. First, Ohio City is one of Cleveland’s oldest and most complete district in the corridor. Compared to other districts in the study area, its housing stock has the highest value and the highest rent. Moreover, it has the lowest rate of homeownership (16%) and vacancies (10%). This can be explained by the district’s strategic location near Downtown Cleveland and W.25-Ohio City Subway Station.
Industrial Village, Clark-Fulton and Brooklyn Centre have, all three, a housing occupancy that is similar to the average of the corridor, about a third is owned and half is rented. However, Industrial Village has the second-highest value of homes and second-highest rent in the corridor, with Ohio City being first. Moreover, Clark-Fulton has the highest rate of vacancies in the corridor (21%), mostly concentrated between Scranton Road and Medina Freeway.
Lastly, Old Brooklyn tends to be a more suburban district with single-family homes built after World War II. It has the highest rate of homeownership compared to other districts in the corridor (38%) and most of them are on the periphery of the study area. Moreover, the district’s median value of home and rent is similar to the corridor’s median.
